Electric discharge device



0. KARL ET AL ELECTRIC mscmmen mavxc'a Filed Oct. 27, 1957 Fig.2.

Fig.1;

1 II .n. b 3.66%-

DA/NITNESSES:

, Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Otto Karl, Berlin, and Heinrich Kniepkamp, Berlin-Pankow, Germany, assignors to Siemens & Halske, Aktiengesellscliaft, Siemensstadt, near Berlin, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application October 2'7, 1937, Serial-No. 171,360

In Germany November 3, 1936 3 Claims. (01. 25.1-27.5

a structure constructed with simple details in p a form that is easily manufactured and produced in mass production with the exercise of very little technical skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric discharge device that is reliable and particularly non-responsive to mechanical impulses or any other vibrations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following de 16 scription and drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a device embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the device shown in Fig. 1. l In Fig. 1, the tube walls are similar in form and are identified by the numerals i and 2. These metallic walls are two equal parts symmetrical with respect to a central plane arranged normally to the axis of the vessel. Each one of the wall parts is intended to carry a portion of the electrode system and they are connected with each other by means of flanges. 3 and I which are preferably welded together at the rims. The two wall parts have the forms of cylinders which extend towards the tube terminals into narrower cylindrical projections 5 and 'I. In these narrower projections, rings or cylindrical members 6 and 8 are inserted and these are preferably welded to the wall parts I and 2. The ring member 6 carries the anode III ,which is supported by means of an insulating member 9 which may be U-shaped or cap-shaped with its edge or edges secured to the ring member. The screw ll fastening the anode ill to the insulating member 9 forms an electrical connection through a plate or washer l2 and the wire l3 to a perforated bar It extending to the exterior of the device. The bar It and the supporting ring 6 are closed by suitable insulation such as glass fused thereto. The tube It may be used as tubulation for the suitable exhaust of the device, or for the introduction-of a suitable gaseous atmosphere after the device has been suitably heat treated.

The hot cathode preferably consists of a plurality of hot filament spirals i1 arranged in a radiation screen it. The heating currenttakes places through a lead bar IS with the current return preferably through the radiation screen I6, and the bar l8 through insulation sealing the tube 8 similar to that closing the tube 0 at the other end of the device. The two bars [5 and It may serve at the same time to support the cathode and the sealing material may carry the weight from the bars IS-and It to the ring member 8 which is in turn supported by the casing. The discharge space is preferably enclosed by a screen 20 which has a portion 23 perpendicular to the discharge direction with an opening for the penetration of the dis- )0 charge from one main electrode to the other.

Through the connecting wire IS the screen and with it the tube walls are given the potential of one of the points of the cathode. The support of the screen is preferably made as illusll trated with the aid of wings 22 and a leaf spring 2| which press against the vessel walls so that the screen is held fast by friction.

Fig. 2 discloses a discharge vessel in which the screen acts as a control electrode and is so insulated from the metallic vessel walls. In Fig. 2, this control electrode. consists of a cylindrical part 24 enclosing the whole discharge path. The screen is preferably, constructed as a complete sheet cylinder provided with a grid- 25 shaped or sieve-shaped portion 25 perpendicular to the discharge paths. The screen is made so long that it is supported on the cone or ring surfaces 28 which form the transition of the large diameter of the tube walls to the narrower 30 projections at the tube ends. Insulating inserts 26 are provided to receive the ends of the screens and to support the screen from the vessel walls.- Spacing rings 21 insure that the control electrode is always held in its proper position. 35

This type of support is particularly advantageous when it is not desired that the whole housing should be at a certain potential and more so when, for example, the housing is to be connected to the ground. In this case, a 49 separate lead must be provided for the screen 24, as disclosed in Fig. 2. Suitable insulation will then be formed about the three conducting leads in the lower part of Fig. 2 and will close the cylinder 1.

In the construction of the discharge device, the two equal wall parts are manufactured inany suitable manner as, for example, by drawing or pressing. The simple and unitary form of the wall parts makes possible inexpensive manufac- 50 ture in large amounts and this is particularly of advantage for the mass production of small tubes. The electrode conductors are fused into the above-mentioned insert rings and if the lead bars are strong enough, support the electrodes II freely. The lead bars in turn are supported by insulating supports on the inset rings. The inset rings are thrust in the cylindrical end pro- Jections of the parts from. the side of the discharge space and the rings are welded to the metal parts at the outer ends. The electrodes are in this case held very rigidly in the individual tube portions.

After the fastening of the inset rings, the screen or the control electrode is thrust into one half of the discharge vessel and the second half is inverted over it and welded to the first half along the flanges. The adjustment of the electrodes may take place before the fastening of the casing together and there is a certainty that in this simple mounting every injury to the parts of the electrode system is avoided. The few welding portions are so arranged that no injury of the sensitive tube parts will take place during the welding. For any kind of imprevement which becomes necessary, the two tube parts may be separated without difliculty by grinding 011 the welding rims of the flanges.

The solid structure of the new discharge vessel here disclosed makes them particularly suitable for purposes where there should be no response to strong vibrations. Thus, it is, for example, applicable for devices which are mounted on vehicles.

Many modifications may be made in the preferred embodiments disclosed, especially in the shape, number and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is desired, accordingly, that only such limitations be imposed upon the following claims as are necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric discharge device comprising a container and electrode therein, said container comprising duplicate metal parts having large ,diameter cylindrical portions joined together vacuum tight and smaller diameter cylindrical by securing its inset ring thereto, fastening the other main electrode in another metallic casing portion by securing its inset ring thereto and thereafter joining the metallic portions together.

3. Method of producing a discharge device which comprises fastening one main electrode structure on an inset ring, fastening the other main electrode on another inset ring, fastening one main electrode in a metallic casing portion by securing its inset ring thereto, fastening the other main electrode in another metallic casing portion by securing its inset ring thereto, inserting a tubular screen in one casing portion, placing the other casing portion over it and joining the two casing portions.

OI'IO KARL. HEINRICH KNIEPKAMP. 

